1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of systems for remotely identifying, tracking, and monitoring transported goods. More particularly, the present invention involves a system that includes an electronic device embedded in a transported item that monitors location, environmental conditions, and structural conditions of the item and communicates the location and conditions to a remote monitoring station via a wireless communications medium for automated analysis and presentation to a user.
2. Description of Prior Art
It is often desirable to track items that are shipped in order to monitor a location of the items. It is known in the art to monitor and track assets using wireless communications. U.S. Pat. No. 6,972,682, for example, teaches a network of identification tags operable to communicate with each other and with a remote monitoring station.
Unfortunately, existing tracking systems suffer from various problems and limitations. Existing systems, for example, are limited in range because they only communicate with other tags and remote monitoring stations that are within range of an on-board RF transceiver. Furthermore, while existing systems communicate information about the shipped items to remote monitoring stations for review by a user, such communications are limited, one-way communications.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved system of remotely identifying, tracking, and monitoring items during shipping that does not suffer from the problems and limitations of the prior art.